Australia is served by police agencies in each state and the Northern Territory, with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) being responsible for policing the Australian Capital Territory. The Australian Crime Commission (ACC), and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS) also have responsibility for the maintenance of law, order and safety.

While the principal duties of the police are the prevention, detection and investigation of crime, the protection of life and property, and the enforcement of law to maintain peace and good order, they may perform a variety of additional duties in the service of the state. These duties include the prosecution of summary offences, regulation of street traffic, performing duties as clerks of petty sessions, Crown land bailiffs, mining wardens and inspectors under fisheries and other relevant legislation.

13.1 FLOWS THROUGH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

With the exception of the AFP, the ACC and the ACBPS, police agencies in Australia are under the control of the relevant state and territory government. However their members also perform certain functions on behalf of the Australian Government such as the registration of aliens, and the enforcement of various Commonwealth Acts and Regulations in conjunction with the AFP and other Commonwealth officers.

(b) Includes depreciation but excludes payroll tax and user cost of capital

(c) Excludes expenditure on justice services out of scope of the Report (e.g. expenditure on specialist courts).

(d) Civil expenditure excludes expenditure on probate matters.

Source: Steering Committee for the Review of Government Service Provision, 'Report on Government Services 2009'.

AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT POLICING AGENCIES

Australian Federal Police (AFP)

The AFP is a statutory authority established by the Australian Federal Police Act 1979 (Cwlth). The AFP has its headquarters in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. Its Criminal Investigations Program is conducted through seven operational areas: the Border and International Network; Economic and Special Operations; Terrorism; International Deployment Services; Protection Services; Aviation Services; and High Tech Crime Operations.

The AFP's role is to enforce Commonwealth criminal law and to protect Commonwealth and national interests from crime in Australia and overseas. The AFP is responsible for the prevention, detection and investigation of criminal offences such as drug offences, money laundering and organised crime, identifying the proceeds of crime, investigation of fraud against Commonwealth revenue and expenditure such as social security and taxation fraud, high tech crime, and preventing, countering and investigating terrorism. In the Australian Capital Territory, the AFP provides a full range of general community policing services, including traffic control, special operations, search and rescue services and conventional crime investigations.

Australian Crime Commission (ACC)

The ACC is responsible for providing a coordinated national criminal intelligence framework to deal with serious and organised criminal activity. It has access to special coercive powers to assist in intelligence operations and investigation, for circumstances where traditional law enforcement methods are not sufficient to combat sophisticated criminal activity.

Special investigations are undertaken by the ACC. These include matters such as firearms trafficking, established criminal networks, money laundering and tax fraud, people trafficking for sexual exploitation, amphetamines and other synthetic drugs, identity crime and card skimming, and vehicle rebirthing.

Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS)

The ACBPS manages the security and integrity of Australia's borders. It is responsible for the detection and the deterrence of the unlawful movement of goods, such as illegal drugs and firearms and people across the border.

NUMBER OF SWORN POLICE OFFICERS

The number of sworn police officers in the various police services in 2007-08 is shown in table 13.3. The figures in the table are not directly comparable across the various jurisdictions, as data for ACC, AFP and the Northern Territory are based on a headcount at the end of the financial year, whereas those for the other states and territories are on a full-time equivalent basis.

(a) FTE staff except for the Northern Territory, Australian Crime Commission and Australian Federal Police totals where data are based on headcounts.

(b) Per 100,000 persons.

(c) Seconded officers from home force.

(d) Excludes the AFP officers who were responsible for ACT policing and who were separately counted against the ACT.

(e) Includes Police auxiliaries and Aboriginal Community Police Officers.

Source: Australian Federal Police 'Annual Report, 2007-08'; Steering Committee for the Review of Commonwealth/State Service Provision, 'Report on Government Services 2009', Table 6.1 for state and territory figures; Australian Crime Commission Annual Report 2007–08.

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